【】nddrilling,anddisciplining.ifhehadhis

akeuslikearegintofline;asifthereuldbe

anygoodincarryingoutallthatsortofthing,hfranc

tireurs.hehadabouthalfofustogether,forthreeorfourdays;

andigiveyouwasasbadasslavery.drill,drill,

drill,frooingtillnight.iilyglad,itell

you,ent.”

ralphsaerable

classhatdrillanddisciplineies,and

thatitantoshoulderagunfor

hiobeasoldier;soheeasilyavoidedargunt,bytuingthe

subject.foraupleofhourstheychatted;andthen,asthefire

enhadalreadylaiddoosleep,ralph

suggestedthattheyshoulddothesa.

”ihesentriesfirst,hyou,ifyoulike,”he

said.

”seheothersaid,ysentry,”and

hepoioanstanding,tenpacesoff,leaningagainsta

tree.”thenhavereinanhour

beforeyoudidandiaotgoiheirstrengthby

puttinghalfoftheuttochtheforest.

”no,no,iaoadvoyn.”

”goodnight,then,”ralphsaid,briefly,andheselfin

hiscloak,andlaydown.

”edtothissortofthing,percy,”hewhispered

tohisbrother,inenglish,”andidontlikeit.nowonderour

fraheir

discipline.”

”idontlikeiteither,ralph.theprussiansareadvang;andif

thatfelloastenlesoff,theyareaslikely

asnottobeonlytoinges.”

”her,percy.hoehaveno

authorityoverthisfelloustkethebestofit,and

hopethatforoncefollyhaveitsjustreward.”

sosaying,theboysreinedsilentforthenight.butalthough

sileheroftheleptchralphespecially,was

stillverysore,andattispainful,hardlyclosedhiseyes.he

toldhielfitheuldnothelplistening,h

painfulattention.

hadthenightbeenaquietone,hehavestrainedhisears;

forashekhenyhourshehadpassedatnightupon

guard,thehushissointehesegreatforeststhatone

hearthefallofauntainstrealesahesnappingof

atostthefallingofaleaf,chtheear.the

night,hoherustleofthepineforestwould

havedeadenedallsound,exceptanythingsharp,andnear.

thesentrydidnotappearsilarlyiressedhthey

foraraordinaryattention.heipallyoupiedin

strugglingagainstld,anddron,he

staedhisfoot,huedsnatchesofsongs,yahgreat

vigor,andsookeepawohours;whenheroused

theforduty,andlaydohagruntofrelief.

atlast,afterkeepingawakeforhours,ralphdozedoff.howlong

heslept,hekheofullwakefulnessbya

toudoylewhisper:

”hist,sterralph,ivedoubtsthatthereissothingwrong.

iuldntsleep,inthishoroutposts;andfor

thelastquarterofanhour,ifancyivebeenhearingnoises.i

dontknoing,butitseetotheyare

allroundus.iybeassureasthepiper”

”hush,tiralphsaidtotheirishn,rawled

noiselesslyalong,andhadlaindownbyhisside.

”percy,areyouawake”

”yes,isen.”

theydidlisten;anddistinctly,abovethesighingofthewind,

theyuldheararustling,cragnoise.daybreaking,

butthelightsuffitlystrongtoshoshany

distiness,arees.

”byjove,goingto

alarhecahesentry,startledintowakefulness,

challengedandfired.

thefranctireurs

e,down.

”liestill,”hesaid,”foryourlives.”

hisendousvolleyrang

outallroundtheandhalfthefranctireursfell.

”noakearushforahouse.

”tothehouses,allofyou,”heshouted,loudly.”itisouronly

ce.down,here,likesheep.”

theofficerofthefranctireurshadalreadyatonedforhis

carelessness,byhislife;andthenobeyedralphscalland,

adstaheavyfire,rushedacrossthefiftyyardsofopenspaceto

thehouses.thedoorin,htherush.

ralphhadnotstoppedatthefirsthousebut,followedbyhis

brotherandtioyle,hadrunfartheron;aeredthelast

houseinthevillage.

”goihers,ralphhanceof

defendingourselves,here.wehaveonlyourrevolvers.”

”hanceofdefendingourselvesanyy,”ralph

said.”therestbeaupleofhuheatleast;andnot

abovefifteenortost,ofthefranctireursgaihe

houses.resistaterlyuseless;a,hadibeenh

thosepoorfellotosurrender,when

theyierwards.weshouldbe

silythrohoutdoingtheleastgood.”

thereontafter,halfa

dozenshhtheherewasarushof

soldierstohedoor,open.

”an,ingforeet

the”hofficers.”

”dontfire,”avoieforward.

”youarenotfranctireurs”heasked,forthelightill

insuffitodistinguishunifor.

”y,upongeneralcarielsstaff.this

nisanorderly.

”hereareoursar.”

thegernofficerbowed.

”keepyoursen.iaotin

nd.”

atthisnt,anotheroffiaup.

”whohaveakeprisoners”

”theyaretajor.”

”he”saidthejor,doubtfully.

”ento

ceasetheirresistance.”

thefrane

ttage,selvesdesperately;andwere

keepingupaheavyfire,frohewindows.

”itosurreonce,”ralphsaid,quietly;”if

yougiveyourhattheyshall

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